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Husband/wife duo Grady and Stella Leavens took the next step in their two-decade-long musical journey by building a new studio in their home state of Georgia, in a space that was designed to nurture creativity and reflect their Southern musical roots. The result is Four Arrows Studio, set in a peaceful, remote environment where Grady and Stella work on their own music and welcome local artists as well.
We sat down with Grady recently to talk about setting up Four Arrows, why he chose the API 2448 to be the console at the heart of the studio, and what it was like working with Vintage King Audio Consultant James Good during the upgrade.
Tell us a bit about your studio and the work you do.
My wife Stella and I began creating music about 25 years ago – back in the 1900s. [Laughs] We had a home studio for about 15 years that we had finally outgrown and we decided it was time to move on, so in 2021, we began construction on a building.
We were initially building a place for our own creative use, and then we came to a point where we thought, “We have to share this space!” Most of the projects we work on are with local bands and artists. We are located on a 200-acre farm in rural South Georgia. From here, it’s quite a drive to Macon, Jacksonville, Atlanta, or even Nashville; our primary goal is to provide a stepping stone for local artists.
We designed the studio to sort of be open air, so all of the rooms have windows providing natural light and views of the farm. I’ve been in so many other studios where it's like you climb into a cave while the outside world is going on, and that can affect the music. We have the option of shading off these windows, but we like to leave them open as much as possible to allow the outside environment to affect the outcome as well.
What inspired you to make your recent upgrades?
Stella and I initially began building a personal space for us to create in, but then it just kept growing. Initially, I showed some interest in the API 1608 console. In February 2021, we visited the Vintage King Showroom in Nashville. The showroom didn't have an API on display at the time, but the sales reps at the store said they’d reach out to someone who could possibly help. James Good then contacted me and offered to get us into a couple of different studios in Nashville to look at the 1608, but those studios were booked up for several days.
So then he reached out to API and they hooked us up with David Pinkston, a former engineer at Capricorn Studios in Macon. I'm very familiar with a lot of the albums that he’s worked on, and David invited us to his home studio to view his 1608.
Several months later, James called me and said, “Hey, I don't know if you'll be in town for the next couple days…” – when it just so happened that we were headed to Nashville! James introduced us to Dave Hintze and Mark Seman from API, who had a 2448 that they had brought into RCA, so we went by and looked at that console.
I absolutely fell in love with the layout of the 2448, with the inline channels and dual faders (you’ve got access to both of those faders on mixdown). It just seemed like a better layout for me rather than the 1608. Another six months went by and we finally pulled the trigger on picking up the 2448.
What was it like working with James Good and Vintage King during the upgrade process?
It was great! If I had any questions, James had the answers. If he didn’t have the answers, he’d put me in contact with someone who did. VK has proven to have a firm working relationship with API. I had a small issue a while back, and James, alongside API, took care of it right away. It's been really good.
What are some of your favorite features of the new API 2448 console?
I’d say the inline channels and the dual faders – I've got 24 going in and a minimum of 48 in mixdown. There's harmonics there too – you can push this console and it responds in a way that working inside the box can’t. Those are the biggest things for me at the moment. I have recently begun using the Final Touch Automation and definitely see it as a game-changer for mixing sessions.
How did you customize it for your studio’s needs?
As mentioned, we opted for Final Touch Automation. We also chose a 30-inch DAW bucket in the center, so the console is split. We have 16 channels on the left side, and 17 through 24 on the far right side; and our master section is just to the right of the DAW bucket. This is perfect – when working in the box, I'm still in the center of the analog world.
I do want to give a shout-out to Legacy Audio Design for our custom-built desk. Lucian Linkous did a wonderful job. He took the specs for the console and laid everything out perfectly.
How has the new console changed your workflow?
It has had a huge impact! I've had to go back and relearn some things that get left behind once you leave the analog world and go in the box.
As far as going from analog to digital, previously I was running through interfaces with preamps on them, now I’m bypassing all that and strictly using the API for all the inputs and the preamps, so that's the biggest change. It's a double whammy: does it complicate things a little bit in the mind, having to trace paths and routing? Sure, but the result is well worth it.
There's something to be said for being able to touch a fader. To me, this side of it is just as artistic as creating the music; you have an influence on this side of the console as well. I feel that this is just as important, and it makes me feel more in tune with the creative process to have an analog console.
You have a hybrid setup at the studio?
Yeah. The API shapes the sound before it goes in. I have outboard gear like LA-2As, the Manley Variable MU Limiter/Compressor, and things of that sort, but I also use a lot of UAD plug-ins as well, which are great. So, I'm completely mixed and entangled in both worlds.
Plug-ins have come a long way, and I don’t feel they're quite up to the analog specs, but they're getting much better. I enjoy being able to be in both worlds. I can stay in the box when needed, but then I can bring it back out and toy with it in the analog world as well.
What are some of your favorite pieces of outboard gear?
I recently picked up both the Manley Stereo Vari MU and a Massive Passive Stereo EQ – those are two pieces of gear that I use on everything. If I’m tracking a vocal, I've gotten to where that's been my go-to chain. I do switch it up but those two have been big players here lately. Other than that, I’ve got the typical gear like LA-2As, and 1176s thrown in the mix in different flavors.
Which microphones do you find yourself using most often?
The basics: the Shure SM57s, the Sennheiser MD 421s for guitars, toms, and things of that nature. We have a pair of Soyuz 013 FETs, which we typically use on overheads, high hats, and acoustic guitar; those are some really true mics and I enjoy using them. And then we have Neumann U67s – the workhorses that are great on everything from kick drums to a wide range of vocals.
For vocals, what's your system for selecting a microphone?
Honestly, trial and error – which makes it fun. I kind of have an idea, initially, of which way we need to lean, but sometimes I get fooled! Sometimes it ends up being a mic that was nowhere on my radar for that particular setup, so we experiment. I think there's no wrong way and there's no right way – it’s all art.
What's a typical day in the studio like for you? Is there a typical day?
No, not really. We're not running 100% full-time here, I actually still do have a day job as well. We do this out of passion and because we enjoy the creative process.
We typically run sessions 3 to 4 days a week, otherwise it gets difficult to balance. Stella will come in and prep for the session that day, which won't start until four or five in the afternoon, unless we book a weekend session. She'll come in and set up the session in Pro Tools.
If we know what the layout is going to be, and what our instrumentation is, we'll make sure we're already set up and line-checked on everything. Then I'll try to get here about an hour or so before the artist shows up and once they get here, if we haven't already had a pre-planning meeting, we'll have a short pre-plan and just go to work.
If it's a mixdown session, I just take my time with it. I'll come in for an hour or two at a time and then I'll leave it and come back to it either that day or maybe the next day, so that I can refresh my ears.
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